Mark Reckless: You are muting that message, which should go out from everyone across this Chamber, from all political parties and groups, that we want those people to stay. They are welcome in Wales: please stay. [Interruption.]
Mark Reckless: May I thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd? I'm speaking on tax devolution for Wales. I'm not sure if I've drawn the short straw in terms of the last short debate of the term, or whether the Minister has drawn it to reply to me, or perhaps you, Dirprwy Lywydd, in chairing us, but you are well used to that, so I thank you. When we think about tax devolution for Wales, a key issue has to be how far should...
Mark Reckless: So, we were looking, I think, at—there were four of them. I have three of them. The plastics tax—I think perhaps we're looking at, if that is going to happen, it would be more on a UK basis, and I think that it would be particularly difficult for manufacturers and supply chains to do for a just-in-Wales basis. The tourism tax, I think, was very unpopular and not, in my view, a good idea,...
Mark Reckless: But, since April, we've been on risk for this, and the concern I had about tax devolution, these Welsh rates of income tax, is they were devolved after a promise that that would be subject to a referendum, and, looking into the history of this, I had thought that there was perhaps a degree of collusion between Labour here and the Conservatives at Westminster, but I haven't seen evidence of...
Mark Reckless: We spoke yesterday about the wage numbers that have come out at a UK level—about 3.6 per cent growth, higher than expected. The Minister rightly talks about public sector wages, but does she also recognise that those higher wages are likely to lead through to a higher take from the Welsh rates of income tax? At the supplementary budget, we got six months more of information. We knew what...
Mark Reckless: I move amendment 1 in the name of Caroline Jones. May I start by expressing some sympathy for the BBC as they struggle to explain to their listeners and viewers the purpose of our recall today? They say that the debate will have no impact on the Brexit process, but may give an indication of AMs' views. Of course, the First Minister says, 'We will resist this with all our might', but, of...
Mark Reckless: Well, the First Minister's speeches are always rapt and engage everyone's attention; I'm sure he needs no lessons in oratory from his predecessor. But we see Labour and Plaid—. And this isn't the first time this has happened; I've lost count of the number of times it's happened that they agree a joint motion with Plaid Cymru and then Plaid Cymru come and seek to attack that agreed motion...
Mark Reckless: Well, I think, as a general point, it holds. What I would say is that the Llywydd here hasn't brought my children into the matter. She also has a dignity and respect policy, which, as far as I'm aware, she leads through personal example, whereas, in Parliament, in the Commons, we see a Speaker with the most outrageous and serious allegations from the closest possible sources of appalling...
Mark Reckless: Could I ask the First Minister to reflect on whether it was really appropriate for him to call the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom a liar on the floor of this house?
Mark Reckless: First Minister, 12 days ago, you made a calculated decision to allege that the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom had lied. How would you describe the statement 'We will deliver a relief road for the M4'?
Mark Reckless: So, you stand by your decision. You said just now it's to do with the climate change emergency but you didn't say anything about that in your decision notice, did you? [Interruption.] The decision notice talked about the environment and the Gwent levels; it did not mention climate change. [Interruption.]
Mark Reckless: I have always backed Brexit. I've never lied about it. Now, you used that word—at least that's what I recall you using, or the meaning of what you were saying—yet your party, you and almost everyone behind you, said that you would respect the referendum. Yet, now, your policy is to go to the European Union, if I understand it correctly, and negotiate a deal so you can come back here and...
Mark Reckless: 4. Will the Counsel General make a statement on the cost to the taxpayer of the Welsh Government joining the failed High Court case concerning prorogation? OAQ54307
Mark Reckless: Isn't an important part of the rule of law that our First Minister should accept the decisions of courts within our jurisdiction? And, following the decision of the divisional court in London, within the jurisdiction of England and Wales, that the decision to prorogue was lawful, is it appropriate for the First Minister to describe the decision as unlawful?
Mark Reckless: I've previously characterised some of the Minister for finance's contributions as a long whinge about austerity and sometimes about Brexit, and when I listened to the Chancellor's statement and heard not just the statement that austerity is over, but the significant increases in spending, and starting calculating what that would mean for what extra money will come to Wales, I thought, 'What...
Mark Reckless: I'm pleased to hear that the Government will be publishing its own estimate on the economic impact of 'no deal', because the Minister just now adopted David Rees's reference to the Bank of England estimate—£1,000 coming from a 5 per cent estimate. Yet his colleague just now, Rebecca Evans, referred to a 10 per cent estimate from the Treasury, which led to this £2,000 estimate. Yet even...
Mark Reckless: Minister, you spoke at some length around the block grant for next year and what we now know following the one-year spending review. The other side of your revenues that you'll be able to use to fund spending commitments in Wales are the revenues from the devolved taxes, and I wondered if you could update us around those in the supplementary budget. Notwithstanding another half year’s data,...
Mark Reckless: But if the OBR is not tasked, at least yet, by UK Government with doing forecasts on a UK basis, how will it be doing those Wales forecasts? Has it got a model of the Welsh economy and will be looking at Wales in isolation, or will it be doing a UK forecast despite not being tasked with that by the UK Government and then applying a variance for Wales? And will the Minister say a little more...
Mark Reckless: 1. Will the Commission make a statement on the decision to select Carole Cadwalladr as the Assembly's Hay Festival speaker at the GWLAD—Future Wales Festival? OAQ54306
Mark Reckless: Carole Cadwalladr has been responsible for some of the most extraordinary conspiracy theories relating to the EU referendum. She first called me up about three or so years ago about this, it was about Russia and Putin operatives brainwashing millions of people through social media to back leave. More recently, I think her line is that a conspiracy of hedge fund managers is trying to drive...
